The San Diego Zoo welcomes Lupe the hippo from Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) – The San Diego Zoo has a new hippopotamus – Lupe – that you can find on the Hippo Trail.

After Lupe's companion at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington, recently died, the zoo said it took her in as part of a joint effort under the AZA Species Survival Plan to support her well-being and the long-term protection of the species .

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Lupe is now at the zoo with other hippos – Funani and her calf Amahle. Amahle was born on February 8, 2020.

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance welcomed Lupe, short for Guadalupe, the 24-year-old female hippopotamus, in late September 2024. The zoo says she is settling into the dynamic habitat along the Hippo Trail.

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Hippos are land mammals found primarily in slow-moving rivers and lakes in Africa. According to the zoo, hippos can hear, see and breathe using their eyes, ears and nostrils on the top of their heads while most of their bodies are underwater. They are also among the most dangerous and aggressive mammals of all. Find out more about hippos here.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists hippos as endangered because their populations are declining. According to the Wildlife Alliance, hippos face several major threats to their survival, including habitat loss, poaching and human-wildlife conflict. They are also being targeted for their bushmeat and ivory-like teeth, while their habitats are being reduced by agriculture and urban development.

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You can find the hippos along the zoo's Hippo Trail.

The San Diego Zoo is located at 2920 Zoo Dr in San Diego's Balboa Park.

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